I'll Drink To Insanity!
by MoustacheMafiaMember
Summary: Loretta is an infamous pirate and was sent out, initially, as a tester for the Spanish Armarda. However, one letter changes her fate... get ready for a bumpy ride!


I sipped the rum delicately, enjoying the sweet taste. I could afford luxuries such as these. Why? Because I am the captain of an infamous ship. Yes, I go around pillaging and overturning ships for a living. It's a lot more fun than you would imagine. The only reason I was on the ship in the first space is because of my brother, Spain. I'm known as Toronto, and had a big brother complex. I was sent, originally, as a tester for the Spanish Armada. However, Spain had long forgotten about me. At least, that's what it felt like. I don't hate him, as he often tried to bail me out. I mean, that's not the only reason, but it's a good one.

Well, I say that. He _did _try, at least in the beginning. I had sent a canary over to him, a message tied on its leg. I politely asked him to leave me stranded at sea. I loved it. This didn't stop him. For years he tried to rescue me, but I only sailed away. Why? For this one moment.

I have sailed for years, all to make the discovery of treasure that will boost the economy of Spain; the one thing that would save us all. The treasure was long forgotten, by most pirates. But not by me. For months I've been following this treasure map, trying desperately to find the treasure. It had all been in vain.

However, I have had an anonymous tip off from one of the ships I had sunk recently. There was this island, near England, where there was supposedly treasure. My devoted crew and I had sailed for almost a week now. It was the storms that did it. It was always the storms that hindered me, or any pirate for that matter.

A canary, Spain's canary, landed on your shoulder, a message in his beak. You took the message from it, reading it. Your eyes widened in alarm.

Dear Loretta,

I have heard that the English are setting sail again. The French are trying to divert them for us, but I'm not sure if they'll be successful. There is also a particular Englishman who is sailing on one of the boats. Don't underestimate him. Please, sister, be careful, lest I worry.

Love~

Antonio.

Ps: This is the last message I can send to you.

My hands started shaking as I finally understood what the message actually meant. I was at threat from the English; no surprise there. Don't underestimate him; really, he's no match for my superior Spanish skills! Be careful; when am I ever careful? I should be allowed to live a little! And finally the last message he can send; shit.

I felt familiar warm arms circle my waist, seeing Barry reading the letter from over my shoulder. I really _hate _when people read things from over my shoulder. I sent the canary off back to Spain and gritted my teeth.

"Loretta? Is he telling the truth? This is terrible!" Barry announced, holding me ever tighter. I slowly relaxed in his embrace, smiling at my lover. I've been married for three years. If I'm honest, he's the best thing that had ever happened to me. Apparently, he was planning on proposing to me before we set sail, but he reserved it for…well, three years ago.

"Yes, unfortunately. I need to inform the men. We may have a bloody fight ahead of us." I said grimly, my smile fading. I stood on my tiptoes, pressing a gentle kiss to Barry's lips. "When this is over, love, we can finally start a family."

Barry smiled, capturing my lips again, rubbing small soothing circles into my back. There was nothing to say, so we remained speechless, enjoying the embrace of one another.

I stepped back slowly, calling all of the crew to the main deck. Duty calls, after all. I raised the flag, checking the direction of the wind. I used to have a raven which could tell me, but one of the pirate ships we had gallantly fought had murdered him. It still hurt me to remember that, if I'm honest.

"Men! We have received shocking news!" I began, searching for words. "The English have set sail! If we come across them, sound the claxons and go in the opposite direction!"

There was collective groans throughout the ship. I glared at the crew until they fell silent.

"We cannot afford to lose _everything _we have left on this ship! We will _not _fight them because we will _not _win. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes captain." The crew members droned, shuffling their feet. I nodded once, turning away.

"Resume your duties. I expect we will get to the island by noon on Friday." I said, dismissively. The crew did indeed return to their duties. For some, their duty was to get drunk on rum… at least that's what they thought. I didn't mind too much, as I had robbed the rum off of another ship, after all. I desperately wanted to join the others, get so drunk that I didn't have to think about the stupid English with their stupid ships.

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. Honestly, what did the crew expect? Oh, let's just charge into battle against someone we can't win against! That's a _brilliant _idea! It would be lovely to be slaughtered!

I stifled an insane grin at my inner ranting. It was quite funny hearing myself talk in my head. Yeah, I'm totally losing it. Maybe I'd caught some sort of insanity.

I sobered instantly. It was such a serious problem it wasn't even funny to joke about mentally. Yeah, I really didn't want to even wonder if I had gone insane. It happened to too many pirates.

I manned the wheel and turned it, so we were heading east. God knows where the hell we were, but east sounded like the logical way to go. I just had to cross my fingers.

I called a man up, ordering him to hide all of the treasure in the servants' quarters. Yeah. I had a servants' quarters. However, I didn't use the people who lived there, sort of, as servants; I just treated them like any other member of the crew. I sighed, stepping back from the wheel for a moment. I know, in my heart, that I'm close to the island. Everything had to be planned from here on in.

I felt a slight movement in the ship. I squinted in the darkness, trying to see what creature had found it funny to bump my ship.

Ooh I hope it was a dolphin! I love dolphins! This one time I rode a dolphin, back in Spain, cause that's the sort of thing you can do in Spain.

But I digress.

My eyes widened. It was an enemy ship!

I sounded the claxon, tearing down corridors in my ship until I came to the Captain's quarters. I grabbed my cutlass off of the table and ran out, heading for the main deck. I gripped my cutlass tightly, trying not to portray any weakness. It was quite difficult being the one rammed instead of the one initiating the ramming. Internally, I cursed myself for not seeing them.

The ship hit mine again, trying to weaken the side. Next, they would most likely move onto the hull. I gritted my teeth. I signalled for a cannon to be fired towards the enemy ship. I hit the ship, hearing screams from the ship.

And a very familiar English voice.

"Heh. This'll be easy." I muttered to myself as the enemy ship headed for mine once again, their intentions clear. They stopped their ship just shy of mine, the crew members boarding my ship. I brandished my cutlass more loosely now, sweat making my grip slide.

An enemy crew member tried to kill me straight away, to eliminate the biggest threat. What an idiot. Of course, with my skills, that wasn't so easy for him. I shot him in the head with my gun, the contents of his brains staining the wood of my ship. I grumbled in annoyance. It was very difficult cleaning up that sort of mess from the ship.

I turned around, shooting another enemy. It was unfortunate they were so predictable. I stabbed another man in the stomach, as he cut my cheek lightly with his dagger. Bitch please I've had worse.

I glanced down at my crew, seeing them fight valiantly. My heart seized when I realised that some of my crew members had been viscously slain.

_Right, _I thought, _we've pretty much won this fight. Now to torture the leader._

I jumped down to the main deck, battling the enemy crew as I went. I stabbed two of the crew and left them, for my crew to finish off. I spotted the leader, engaging in battle with my husband. I gained a fierce look of determination. No _way _would he hurt my husband! He was the only thing I have left! I noticed that my husband had a few cuts on his arms, whilst the 'stranger' had a cut on his shoulder. Surprisingly, he was still fighting. The enemy was little more than an annoyance.

I jabbed the 'stranger' in the back, the cutlass impaling him slightly. He gasped, coughing up blood. I held a gun to his head, the safety clicked off.

"Surrender."

"I surrender!" The stranger yelled, in a _British _voice. Could this be…?

I grabbed his arms, pinning them to his back. I took off my belt, tying his hands together. Barry and I shoved the enemy into the…

Well, it was better known as the torture chamber.

I shoved him in the room, handcuffing him to the wall. I pulled the jail-like door across and glared at him through the slats. He glared back, resistance in his brilliant emerald eyes. I nodded to my husband, reopening the jail cell door and stepping in. I reached into a cabinet nearby, pulling out a whip. The emerald eyed 'stranger' swallowed, and looked away. I ran the whip under his head, sitting on his legs so he was powerless.

"So…what's your name?" I asked, my voice emotionless. I hated to torture the victims.

Worst of all, I hated murdering them. Maybe I could keep this cutie alive as long as I could.

"Arthur." He spat out. "I'm England."

I smiled. "Good. What are you doing here?"

He said nothing. I struck him across the face, leaving a harsh red mark. He grimaced, staying silent.

"Staying silent, huh?" I wondered, hitting the wound on his shoulder. He lurched forward, coughing blood on me. I trailed the whip through the bleeding wound, the Englishman reeling from the pain.

"My my you've ruined my clothes." I whispered, feeling the heavy gaze of my husband on my shoulders.

"Treasure." He managed, between breaths.

"You're so easy to break." I commented. Then, I stood up looking at my husband levelly.

"No one, I repeat _no one, _but you and I are allowed to be in here." I stated. He nodded and left, probably retiring for the night.

I looked at Arthur pitifully. I reached inside the same cabinet, revealing medicines and poultries.

"Don't tell my husband about this…" I whispered. He looked at me, like a deer in headlights. "Shut up. I'm healing you."

He relaxed, seeing the bloody whip being placed back. I walked over to him, slowly, sitting in front of him. I had purposely left his legs untied.

I got alcohol and held him down as I poured it in his shoulder wound. He screamed, his eyes flashing dangerously. I recoiled, as the action wasn't malicious in the slightest. I patted the wound dry and bound it, the bandages only just long enough to fix the wound in place. I reached back into the kit and rubbed his face with antiseptic cream. I drew back hesitantly, putting the lid back on, and placed it back in the cabinet.

"What's your name?" He gasped out. I smiled at him, tenderly. We were both nations, and were friends once. However, that was centuries ago. Hopefully he would remember me. Except… he wouldn't remember me for the reason I remember him.

"It's Loretta… I'm also known as Toronto." I whispered liltingly.

He drew in a breath as I said that.

I turned my back on him and left, pretending the tears falling down my face were imaginary.

It had been three days. I refused to go into the room, and see what my husband had done to him. I don't want to see how messed up he was. I do feel guilty, though. I feel like I should spare him.

When did I gain compassion for people you hadn't seen in centuries?

I shrugged it off, making a conscious decision to visit him. I had to save him from my husband. He could get… _rough._ Oh, and thanks to that little detour, I also had absolutely no idea where I am. To be on the safe side, I decided to travel east still. Compasses are never wrong. If I go too far, though, I might end up somewhere like Russia. And that wouldn't be fun… at all.

I strode purposefully, heading for the torture chamber as quickly as I could. I didn't want to spend any time I didn't have to be in there. It gave me the shivers, more so now there was a living inhabitant. Well, hopefully he was alive.

I looked inside, seeing Arthur all alone. He had a few cuts on his face, and his bandages were bloody. He was black and blue all over. Apart from that, he looked relatively okay. There was the little problem of him being passed out as well. I sighed, reaching into the cabinet and getting the first aid kit. I pulled out new bandages and antiseptic, undressing his wound. I forced myself to look at it, to see what my husband had done, and saw that it was mostly healed. Barry mustn't have stabbed him too deeply. I gently smeared the antiseptic on his face and shoulder, redressing the wound on his shoulder. He made a groaning sound, before blinking his sleepy green eyes. He drew back quickly when he was met with mine, his face shocked. Slowly, though, he came to his senses.

"What…are you doing?" He muttered.

"Treating an old friend. What does it look like?" I growled. His eyes widened.

"Wait! You can't!" He blurted suddenly. I looked at him questioningly, and he averted his eyes.

"Your husband…that other person, yes?" He asked, his voice undignified. He had spent too long around pirates.

"Yeah."

"He's going to betray you. He told me, when he was torturing me." He whispered. I looked at him incredulously.

"Bull."

"It's not."

"Yeah whatever." I flicked a dismissive hand at him, turning around. "I'm going now."

I walked to the jail cell door and opened it.

At least, I tried.

It wouldn't budge. It appeared locked. Bloody brilliant. The amount of times I locked myself in…

I looked on the inside, seeing if there was anything I could pick the lock with. I only had one hairpin, but I needed to keep that for emergencies. I rattled the door. Loudly. My husband appeared on the other side of the door. You breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

"Oh, Barry. Will you unlock the door?" I asked sweetly.

"Now why would I do that, love, if I'm the one who locked it?" He sneered at me, causing me to draw back slightly.

"W…What?" I murmured, not entirely believing him.

"I'm giving you over to the Russians. They've offered a lot of gold for you two." He muttered. "And also? You keep going on and on about some treasure. Well guess what, sweetie? We're never gonna find it! Just admit it! Give me incentive to let you go!"

I shook my head, tears falling. "No."

Barry's mouth set itself in a tight line. This wasn't the man I married! Surely not! This wasn't the same overexcited, exuberant person I know!

Well…apparently _knew._

I threw my rings at him, the metal clattering off the floor.

"Have fun in hell." He whispered to me. I looked at his hand, horror sinking into my bones. He didn't have his rings on either. He…

I looked back at England, sinking to my knees. He regarded me wordlessly, his eyes pitiful. I crawled over to him and looked him deep in the jade eyes, feeling utterly pathetic. I removed my hairpin, setting his hands free.

"Do whatever you want. I don't care anymore." My voice was little more than a hoarse whisper. Arthur looked at me again, but his face was unreadable. He moved his quivering hands to my shoulders, patting my shivering form gently.

"Don't cry, love." He whispered in my ear. The tears came quicker. That was the nickname my husband…. _Ex _husband called me. And it struck tiny daggers in my chest every time I heard that.

"Don't worry. I have another fleet coming to rescue me." He whispered again, his accent slipping through strongly. I wiped my eyes, my expression steely. "I'll save you, even if it kills me."

I looked up to him, shocked. He smiled.

"I owe you a life." Was the only explanation he offered. "And I'm sure they'll be here soon. They haven't heard from me in over two days, after all."

I just nodded, my whole body feeling numb and disorientated. England shuffled awkwardly, lying down on the floor. There was a blanket in the corner of the room, which I had given him a few days ago. Barry must've thrown it off him in a fit of rage. I dragged the blanket over to him, placing it on him so he could sleep. I also removed my coat and folded it, making a pillow for his head. Now aren't I nice? I placed a hand over his forehead, testing his temperature. Luckily, he seemed normal.

I then curled myself in a ball, cold seeping into my bones. Arthur sat up.

"Why are you doing this for me?" He asked. I looked at him blankly; I had no answer.

"Because… I never forgot our friendship…" I murmured, wishing I could say the rest out loud, not intending for England to hear. Nevertheless, he heard me. His body stiffened.

"You bloody idiot I never forgot! Things always got in the way… mostly that bloody frog France, or your wanker of a brother trying to separate us." England muttered to himself. I heard every word, but made no movements to deny his claims.

I shivered, the sea breeze chilling me further. I was hungry, tired and weak. I had lost mostly everything in one measly _night._

"Listen, love. My men are probably already on board. It's night, right? Well, the second fleet is the incognito fleet. They'll disguise themselves as your crew and set us free. We've only got a few nights left." Arthur said gently, reassuringly.

That nickname again…

I shivered again, my body threatening to hibernate. Arthur saw this, and gritted his teeth.

"Come sleep over here, love. At least it's bloody warm." He muttered the last part. Slowly, I lay myself down next to him, stealing his warmth. He stroked my hair and embraced me, much to my shock.

"It…reminds me of when we were little." You whispered, before falling asleep.

_Strange… I think I'm getting used to the nickname._

I wandered around the cell aimlessly, bored. I wasn't just hungry and cold; I was bored as well. I had nothing to pick the lock of the cell with either. It was a huge bummer, especially when Arthur had to pretend to be handcuffed when Barry bounced along. What? I don't have the weight problem. And… Barry had left the keys just out of my reach, enticing me, so I couldn't set myself free. And Arthur of course. I sighed in frustration, chewing absentmindedly on a fingernail.

I saw an unfamiliar crew member appear in front of me, startling me.

"What…time is it?" I asked slowly. May as well gain intel. They looked at me.

"20 hundred hours." They responded, with a slight British accent. They picked the keys up, sliding them into the lock like you would pull a knife through butter. Just cause you could. They unlocked the cell quietly, making ushering motions. England shook himself awake, looking at the man.

"Ah! Charlie! You sly devil. Everything set?" England whispered, his glee obvious. The man, Charlie, nodded. "Turn around, Loretta."

I did, my eyes suspicious. I heard the familiar sound of handcuffs locking and groaned inwardly. Really?

England pushed you forward, whispering in my ear. "It's only so you don't run away."

"Wait! Can't I get my cutlass?" I whispered back. Charlie produced my cutlass, looking very smug. "Cheers."

England nudged me slightly, spurring me on. I followed Charlie through the familiar corridors. He led me onto the main deck and near a smaller pirate ship. England tied a gag on me quickly. Before I could regain my senses, Charlie picked me up and threw me through the air. I screamed into the gag, especially as I was caught by unfamiliar arms.

I looked up, seeing England whisper something to Charlie. He nodded before slipping into the shadows. He still hadn't given me the cutlass.

England jumped down, barely making a noise. He took me from the other sailor. I grumbled, as much as I could through the gag. England carried me into a room, placing me on a fluffy bed.

"Listen. I want you to stay there. Please don't make me punish you, love." He said, casting a fleeting look at my troubled eyes. He turned around, walking out of the room.

Ah. So he uses the nickname to _manipulate me _does he?

I noticed he didn't lock it. Hmm. At least he had decency.

I heard the door open as a man was thrown in with me, along with the cutlass. What did they think I was, some sort of hungry lion? I won't argue with the first, though. I picked up my beloved cutlass, which I was definitely going to be betrothed too if it isn't illegal. Pirate law says strange things, but I'm sure it doesn't ban marrying your weapon. I held it to my chest protectively. I looked at the man, a horrified expression spreading across my face.

"B…Barry?" I whispered. I heard a cannon go off nearby, followed by a creaking sound. That was most likely my beloved ship… sinking. It appeared England's crew had stolen all of the treasures, though. No sweat. I can always steal them back later.

"Love…I'm so sorry, Loretta my love. Please forgive me!" He begged, his amber eyes sorrowful. I sat and pondered, before nodding. He drew you in a hug, hugging me as tightly as possible.

_Why doesn't it have the same effect when he says it?_

"It's a pity you're so gullable." I whispered in his ear, feeling his hand go limp. I had ran him through with the cutlass. I stepped back, staring at him, admiring my dirty work. I may as well get some sort of pleasure out of it. His eyes widened, and he spat blood on the wooden floor in abundance

"How did you know…?" He asked, dropping the dagger; the very same dagger that was pressed into my back on the floor, unused. I laughed at him.

"Please. You don't go anywhere without that dagger. And you wouldn't let me live knowing what I do. About your betrayal of Spain. It's only fitting I execute you." I muttered, my face twisted.

He held his chest, blood spilling everywhere, congealing into a quickly drying puddle in the middle of the floor.

"And you're not wearing your ring." I whispered, before dealing another blow. His blood splattered all over me in a tidal wave of blood. My cutlass wasn't spared either, his guttural wail vibrating off of the blade.

Then…his life ebbed away.

I stood looking at the corpse lying on the floor, giving a hysterical shriek of horror. Arthur burst into the room, a sword at his side, a gun in his hand. He lowered the gun when he saw the corpse, lying face down, in the middle of the floor. Arthur walked over to me slowly, giving me an awkward hug. He spotted the dagger on the floor behind me, the tip wickedly sharp.

His face contorted upon seeing that. He pressed a kiss to my hair, reassuring me gently.

"It's okay. I'll… well, you can sleep in my room tonight, love. How does that sound?" He whispered. I sniffled.

He took that as approval and picked me up bridal style, stepping over the still bleeding corpse. I still held on tightly to my cutlass, not willing to get rid of the last thing that hadn't betrayed me. I couldn't even think of going anywhere without it. Antonio had given it to me centuries ago. It was the only thing that reminded me that my brother really _did_ love me. I know it in my heart, but the written letters are so cold. I can't hear any intonation in letters. It makes the sender sound abrupt and formal, even when writing the most humorous of letters.

Maybe, just maybe, I'm homesick. I know I'm sick of betrayal. I've had my fair share of betrayals over the years. I just never imagined that my one true love would twist the knife in the wound so much, though. I thought he was the only one I could trust. I had given him _everything_. I had given him your virginity, my undying love, and this was how he repaid you?

Betrayal always left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Arthur placed me on a double bed, the mattress bouncy and the pillows fluffed. He looked at me, adoration flickering across those gorgeous emerald eyes. I managed a tiny smile, to let him know he was doing a good thing.

I heard an almighty splash. I winced, knowing that was the sound of my dead husband being thrown overboard. I thought it would be easy to slay him. However, in reality I'm quite traumatised. I hate killing people, but I had to in certain situations. It was me or him, after all. And I am the top priority to myself, in a fight. I remember when I killed my first person. Nightmares wracked my body for weeks, until another fight jostled me into reality again.

It still wasn't easy to kill people, but it was manageable. This, however, left my mind and heart torn in two. I didn't think I would ever be able to love again. I could cling onto the hope I would, but I still doubted myself.

Arthur leaned down, checking me for any outward signs of damage. When he saw none, he gave a slight nod and slipped into the bed next to me. He took me in his arms, all awkwardness gone. He kissed me gently on the cheek, lulling me to sleep.

So that's exactly what I did.

I woke up in Arthur's embrace, wondering if it was criminal to enjoy his embrace as immensely as I did. Especially because I am a sinner for killing that man. Well, that man was trying to kill _me_. So, that makes it okay, doesn't it?

Yeah. In your books anyways.

Arthur stood up, stretching, before casting another look of adoration my way. He smiled tenderly, before walking into a different room. No doubt to clothe himself properly. I cast a quick look to the side of me, seeing a female pirate outfit of mine. The only difference was the emblem had changed. Huh. So, he apparently thought I belonged to his ship.

_Well, _I thought huffily, _if he's not gonna let me out of this room, then I see no point in getting dressed._

I pouted, debating on crossing your arms.

Arthur walked back in, wearing the same dagger and gun he had on him yesterday. I tried desperately not to stare at his _fine behind_, as it was like forbidden fruit to me.

Totally off limits.

I tried to remember that mantra as he fixed his sharp, green eyes gaze on mine. He ran a hand through his impeccably groomed blond hair, making me lust after him even more. I squirmed on the bed, watching as he yawned sexily like a tiger.

"Loretta. I want you to stay here for now. Okay?" He asked, directly. I nodded wordlessly, not processing that I had just agreed to be imprisoned. He nodded curtly, before leaving quickly. I breathed out, glad I could actually breathe. He was just so… breathtaking. He reappeared a moment later, a raven on his shoulder. The bird squawked, before going to perch on my shoulder lightly. England smiled sweetly, before closing the door. I hesitantly brought a hand up to the raven's back, petting it slowly. It ruffled its feathers, giving me a piercing glare when I dared to stop stroking it. I smiled, continuing to pet it slowly.

For now, I could pretend these soft feathers were the locks of Arthur's hair…

I had spent a week stuck in this room. I had no real concept of time. My day was divided into Arthur and not Arthur. I'm sure that I have been fed, but I never really noticed when I have been. It was a miracle that I'm actually eating. I didn't feel like eating. Nothing was worse than what I was going through right now. At the moment, I was eating myself away with guilt, torturing myself for Arthur, effectively. Hell, I'm pretty sure I would prefer to be tortured than stuck in this room, alone, with nothing else but how sinful I am to think about.

Arthur opened the door to the room slowly, stepping inside. I looked up at him, expressionless. It wasn't time for him to be back yet. This was the earliest yet. Unless… it wasn't that time yet, was it?

I looked imploringly at him and he shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm letting you go, love." He whispered in my ear. I clung to his warmth, his familiar presence, his sweet nothings. I am a faded person. I'm just not myself anymore. I had spent too long alone, with my torturous thoughts. My inner demons had had a feast.

"Come on. Come have a drink with me." Arthur begged, looking into my blank eyes. I nodded slowly, standing up as woodenly as a puppet. Arthur looked at me, worriedly. He clasped my hand fleetingly, looking into my dull eyes. He must've seen some semblance of the person I was as he smiled fleetingly.

He tugged me along, leading you to an unfamiliar room. All around me was rowdy sailors. If I'm honest, they scared me. Arthur nudged me slightly, leading me to the front. Oh. It looked just like a bar. I had to suppress a giggle. A bar on a ship? That's a first.

Nevertheless, I had a pint of what appeared to be rum thrust in front of you. I regarded it suspiciously. It had been a while since I'd seen the gorgeous caramel depths. I took a sip, nostalgia hitting me full force. The sweet taste immediately hit the back of my throat, bringing a few tears to the surface. Arthur, however, chugged it down, stress lines forming between his eyebrows. I drank my pint more heartily, feeling my sanity tip off balance.

"Oh. We forgot to celebrate our first drink together… let's make a toast anyways." Arthur noted. I laughed, a little crazily.

"I'll drink to insanity." I said, clinking my half full glass against his empty one. A weird expression crossed his face. "And I'll drink to being the fool, too."

"Why?" He questioned. I gave a sarcastic laugh.

"Insanity? Do you know what it feels like, killing your one true love, and then being locked in a room for a long time but nothing but your thoughts?" I fired back at him.

"Actually, I do." He looked down into his glass. "I… I once was forced to fight against… someone. I loved her dearly, but she had to die. And why? Because my boss told me. She was an enemy, and a traitor. But she was the kindest person I've ever met, before you. But that was over a millennium ago." Arthur cleared his throat, staring pointedly at the ground. "And I'm a fool, too. I fell in love with someone I'm never gonna bloody get."

"I know how you feel. Been there, done that, living it." I responded, my tone snarky. It was amazing how a bit of alcohol gave someone infinite confidence. I drank the rest of the rum, and England immediately ordered another. He was the captain of the ship, so I guess it's free. I wonder if everyone get's free alcohol. Maybe they have strange coupons or something. They _are _British after all. (Like the author XD)

I looked into the swirling caramel depths, debating on how drunk I could get in one night…and how horrible I would feel the day after.

I don't care, I decided. I had to let loose. I couldn't let your inner demons continue to haunt you and rule your waking life. I chugged the pint at an alarming rate, pushing the glass aside. Arthur stared at me, his eyebrow caterpillars raised in shock. Now I was out of my prison, I felt marginally better. It was like my heart and my personality had been released alongside my body. It was a truly gratifying feeling.

Arthur quickly drained his pint, swaying on his seat. Ah. He was a lightweight. Much like I had the tendency to be, in reality. It was quite handy, especially when there wasn't much alcohol on the boat.

"Hey, Loretta… did I ever tell you how pretty you are?" Arthur asked, slurring his words. I shook my head, making my head feel funny.

"Excuse me for being a brainless twit, but… I have to tell you this. I've loved you since you were…well, born. I was always around you as much as I could. Your brother, being the wanker he is, didn't like it. So… I'm sorry for being your enemy." He muttered, tripping over his words.

I looked his deep in his bottomless green eyes. They sparkled, his mouth spreading in a smile. He pondered for a moment, his drunken mind trying to remember something.

"Listen… Loretta… if you had the opportunity, would you drink all the rum in the world or kiss me?" He asked, a blush tainting his perfect cheeks. He looked away from me, embarrassment clouding his judgement. I sat there, stunned.

Had he…?

_Just let me wake up._

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, leaning towards you. He placed his rosy lips on mine, kissing me gently and fleetingly. For a moment, there was perfect silence. He shifted uncomfortably. It was then I decided to go with my instincts.

I leaned over to him, kissing him back in return. His green eyes shot open in shock. However, he brought a soft hand to my face, fondling it gently. I moved a quivering hand up to his hair, finally feeling the soft blond locks running through my fingers like silk. Ah, how I had dreamt about this moment.

Arthur suddenly broke away, looking extremely embarrassed.

"How about we take a walk across the deck?"

It was a peaceful night. Arthur's raven had perched on his shoulder quietly, looking about as intimidating as a mouse. If you knew it, you would know that he was a truly considerate being. I felt the cool sea breeze ruffling your hair. Arthur stopped me suddenly, his adoring green eyes boring into mine. He slowly brought his lips to mine, his hands circling my waist.

Suddenly, I felt the ship tip to one side dangerously, threatening to throw us over the boat. I looked behind me to be greeted with a huge black sea leech.

"Enyoma!" Arthur hissed, his eyes flashing dangerously.

I hissed through your teeth, running up the deck. I jumped on one of the enyoma, using it as leverage. I landed on the deck, heading towards the wheel.

"Hold on!" I yelled, face set; I had dealt with them before. I gripped the wheel tightly and steered to the right, then the left. It threw off some of the enyoma, meaning it was easier for Arthur to reach me. Luckily, he did reach me. He turned around, back to me, and started to slice the enyoma into smaller pieces, effectively killing them. I cast a quick glance back, seeing the limp in Arthur's stride. I bit my lip worriedly, yet continued to steer the boat.

"You'll thank me later." Arthur whispered in my ear. He hugged me tightly before jumping off the ship.

I heard the water roaring in your ears and burning my throat as I plunged into the icy and unforgiving sea.

The first thing I did when I regained consciousness was to spit out gallons of water. There was a little bit of blood, as well. When I had regained my senses I noticed some things. First: I wasn't dead. Second: Arthur looked dead. Third…

"Oh hell no!" I moaned. "I am _not _stranded on an island!"

Arthur made a groaning sound and stirred, his silky locks still wet from the water. I got a cheeky idea and decided to crawl over to him.

I put a hand to his head, feeling his light fever. I frowned, thinking that my idea wasn't necessarily a good one.

Nevertheless, I did it anyways.

I leaned down, placing my lips gently on his. Arthur's eyes shot open and I moved back, my smile predatory. He spluttered a few times, blinking rapidly. Then, he grabbed my head forcefully, pulling my lips back to his again.

"I… I love you." He whispered in a small voice. I smiled, generously.

"I love you too." I whispered back. I smiled at him gently again, before realising the position we were both in.

"Uhm… What are we going to do?" I asked, blushing. He shrugged, before remembering something.

"Oh… I might have sent a bird to the frog about this island… he should be here soon." England muttered shifting. I rolled my eyes, a laugh on my lips.

"How did you know we were gonna be here?" I asked. He blinked once, stupefied.

"Oh! Because we were sailing towards the Isle of Man." He responded. My eyes widened. I was on a British island. In fact, the whole time we had been sailing towards here.

"Does it belong to you?"

"Yeah. Course it does I represent the UK you twit." He responded, looking at me incredulously. I rolled my eyes and 'accidentally' kneed him in the crotch when I moved.

"Oopsie!" I giggled, watching as England rolled on the floor…but sadly not laughing. I heard a ship coming towards me very fast…

Well, you say ship… it was more like a rowing boat.

I pushed England down in fear, clinging to him.

I heard a familiar, haunting voice.

"Ohonhonhon do I see l'amour on ze beach? Keep going, it iz fun!" I heard France say, the rowing increasing. God, did he want to drown me in a tsunami?

"Oh shut up you epitome of a douche!" England yelled as France came to a halting stop in front of us.

"Ah, Arthur, thank you for ze compliment!" France pulled a rose from nowhere, probably his arse, and sniffed it. Arthur stared, dumbfounded.

"How is being called a douche a compliment you bloody frog?" Arthur asked, somewhat curiously.

"My my L'Angleterre, how could it not? I mean, showers get to see a lot of naked ladies~!" France exclaimed. England facepalmed himself.

"Oh god that's not what I meant…" England trailed off, watching the waves.

"Have you come to save us, then?" I piped up. France laughed.

"Non! This boat is not big enough for Britain's big butt!" France laughed. "Of course I have."

I laughed raucously, and walked towards the boat. I was attempting to climb into it when a massive wave knocked me over, shattering the wooden contraption. England looked at the pieces of wood, his eyebrows twitching.

"Oh dear! Looks like I am stuck on zis island with you two! Ohonhonhon!" France chortled. Arthur and I looked at each other.

"Shit."


End file.
